Tillogram

Hi @AuntGlow,, Long time, no see.. How are you?. I know that one part of the answer to that question is,, that you are completely run off your feet.. I think you might have been away and so now you have a heap of tags to catch up with..

Please don't worry about responding to me..

I edited the post you are responding to, because I don't like a lot of stuff staying on the forums, I just let the pretty benign stuff stay up..

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@Till23 wrote:

Anyhow I put up a post about spirituality,, but it didn't get much traction but that's ok.. People are busy with their own stuff and maybe my wording was not good.. Or maybe things have changed for me as I'm not as engaged with the forums really since last year and people don't know me.

I am pretty busy, but I don't think it's just that, I somehow don't feel as much connection with forums. Some of that is definitely because of my MH status. At times I sort of feel a bit like what's the point and other times I keep trying to find something to keep going

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Food for thought - I might be off-track here though. 😅

@Till23 @AuntGlow

1. I wonder if it is a matter of "finding your tribe" or shared interests? (e.g. spirituality, your sport, etc).

I know myself I don't get traction on my special-interest threads generally, but that's OK with me. Sometimes it that the person doesn't have time even if they share my interest. Like @Jynx and DnD 😋. Or my other special interest of travelling - I can just weave it in places instead lol and love to hear about others travel stories as a way to connect with them. Or animals via the Bunny and Cats thread (even thought they're not my main animal focus). Or puns in the silly sock thread. These are some of "my connection" special interests. Of course it also helps a lot for me that talking about (and supporting others with) mental health challenges/concerns is my biggest special interest for me. 😅 Because then I can literally always find someone here to talk to about their situation -- I just have to remember to listen more than "suggest" (or modify how I do it!)

2. Feeling in the body.... interoception. Do you reckon you have overall good or poor interoception? Does it vary based on how you feel emotionally or how busy/distracted it does?

(Mine does! 😂) And I do mean not just mental-health-related; whole-body-situation.

@Till23!! So lovely to hear from you!

I do love a barefoot expedition hehehe. Connecting to nature is definitely good for the soul! Magic indeed!

I'm sorry to hear your post didn't quite get the response you wanted. I found the post and really like your take. If I get time tonight I will try to respond over there 😉

I think sometimes posts go unnoticed because of a few reasons... other posts going up at the same time might mean they fall off the 'front page', for instance. Some people (like me quite often) only see posts in which they're directly tagged.

I think as well at times, the more broad the topic, the more likely the post will keep getting traction, such as threads about music or memes; whereas threads with more specific or niche topics will only get a few replies because people don't have more thoughts to add on top of what they or someone else has already shared.

Maybe you could try tagging a few people, or if you don't want it to feel 'invasive' you can share a link to the thread in one of the social chats that occur most days - bit of self-promotion is not a bad thing!! That way those who may be interested have a higher likelihood of seeing the thread in the first place.

And you can always tag some of the Community or Peer Guides and ask them if they know of any members who might be interested too!

If there's other ways you can think of that would help you to feel more connected on the forums, feel free to suggest them 😉💜

Hi @Jynx,, thanks for your response.. It has been a long time since we chatted.. I hope you are well,, I knew you were a fan of barefoot running, or barefoot in general.. Yes,, I think time in nature is definitely magical..

I'm not concerned about the lack of traction for the post.. It was a bit of a long shot..

I don't know if things change and engagement with the forums waxes and wanes.. I think other people have been off and on.. .

Anyhow,, I hope you have a lovely evening

Hi @AlwaysMyself,, it was nice to hear on another thread that the trial is still on track.. Not so nice to hear that you have had some problems following cessation of your medication.. Some of the things you've experienced are not unexpected,, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I'm not concerned about the post at all, if I spoke about theoretical physics,, it probably wouldn't get much traction,, that's just how it is..

I don't visit some threads at all because it's not really my thing and I don't have the time to put into it,, I know you get out what you put in, so that's OK too.. I'm also reticent to put stuff out there on the forums about me, because it is accessible to public and even with the people we chat with, we do not know if they are our neighbours,, colleagues etc

I am fully aware of the body feeling thing.. I wouldn't have discussed it, I was just answering a question from @AuntGlow

@Till23 thank you for reminding me I am somewhat overdue for a day spent out of the city, deep in nature. Rainforest calls to me from time to time!!

I'm glad to hear that. I think everyone does engage with this space in their own ways, some are responsive every day, others pop in and out across the week, some just drop in when they need to express something.

I'm glad you're still floating around, and even if it doesn't feel like it, to me you're very much a part of this community 💜

Yes @Jynx,, I not only love getting into nature,, I feel as though I need it to feel a sense of connection to the earth,, which helps with my mental health.. It also helps my physical health if I'm out walking in it,, especially if it's a long walk and with up and downs,, scrambling over rocks etc. I feel it also has spiritual aspect as well.

I have mentioned to @tyme and @AuntGlow,, with the forums,, I also feel a bit guilty because I am not supporting people as much as I used to.. So I don't really say much about my situation,, because it seems a bit one-sided.

I hope you are able to get out in nature soon

@Till23 totally agree, nature is essential. Was also just saying to Captain that I'm itching to get out into nature soon. Undecided if it'll be bush or beach though... 🤔 Both have their beauty!!

Sometimes even the smallest gestures are incredibly meaningful. Hitting the support button or letting someone know you're thinking of them is often more than enough - especially because most here also know what it's like to be struggling and have little energy left to give.

In an ideal scenario, what would your forums experience look like?

Hi @Jynx,, I hope you are well.. I have a couple of walks lined up in near future..

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I do sometimes support posts with the button,, but I feel it's more meaningful to write something even if it's a sentence or two.

I think the problem for me and the forums is the time factor. It takes a while to read and understand the person behind the post. I have less time now than when I first started on here.

I also worry about spending too much time here and not getting other things done..

Sometimes reading about people's problems can be a bit disheartening, although most people are doing a fantastic job of getting on with life despite MH issues.

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I don't really know what my ideal forums experience would be like. .

@Till23 love soaking up some history!! Both walks sound very fulfilling, I hope they bring you some joy, curiosity, and fill your cup 😊

I do get you on the time factor. I guess the more active you are, the more responses you get, the more time you then need to spend to keep up with all the notifications. From the way you talk about wanting to truly understand, well that shows a lot of compassion and care in itself!

Honestly I feel like you're very much not alone in your feelings of comparing and feeling you have 'nothing to complain about'... I think I would gently challenge the idea of 'wasting people's time' though - it feels good to help people! So I don't think it's a waste of anyone's time to feel like they can be supportive, and to know that they have helped someone to feel heard and understood.

I do hear you though, sounds like it's about finding balance. Figuring out if the 'payoff' is worth the time invested. Only you can figure out what the right approach is in this sense. You could take a break and see if you miss it, or you could delegate a certain time period each week and not engage outside of that - just some thoughts. Up to you 💜